Archive for month: January, 2010

Like most women, I'm a sucker for a gift with purchase (GWP) at a makeup counter. I never met a GWP offer I could refuse, so I try to steer clear of the mall when I know they're being offered. Tom's been shopping with me so many times that if I forget to ask for my GWP, he'll often pipe in before we close the transaction with "is there a gift with that?"

The other day Tom and I went to purchase a new mattress. We thought it was time for a change and that a rainy afternoon was a good time to start looking. We'd already done our homework so we knew what we wanted. The first store we went into, the sole salesperson reluctantly left his seat at the counter only after we struggled in from the rain, shook off and folded our umbrellas. It was still two hours before closing according to the sign on the door, so I wondered if he figured we weren't serious shoppers, although who else would be out in a hard rain? He answered our questions, let us roam about the store unattended and didn't really try to sell us anything.

Have you ever attended a social event or a networking function where you knew no one? Were you “out there,” introducing yourself and getting acquainted? Or were you a “wallflower” stuck like ivy against the wall in need of a bolder soul to drag you into the crowd?

As registered nurses, we were trained to give and to take care of others. But to successfully manage your legal nurse consulting business you must also be a strong negotiator, willing to ask for what you want and what you need. As nurses, you're not trained to negotiate, but luckily, you're born negotiators even though you don't necessarily think about it that way. You negotiate with patients about taking their meds. You negotiate with doctors to assure the appropriate medical orders are written for the patient. You negotiate with hospital administrators for safe staffing and delegation. You are always negotiating as a nurse and usually it's for the benefit of someone other than yourself, although you also negotiate with the cafeteria to keep the food from killing you and you negotiate your way through shifts with issues that would make lesser mortals weep.

Congratulations to Stephanie Crawford, RN, BSN, CLNC for successfully using videoconferencing with her attorney-clients. She shared with me, “Even though I have a fondness for settling down with my records, a mug of coffee and wearing sweatpants… I wore my black suit for my first videoconference. It was a milestone accomplishment to step up to the big league lawyers and meet this attorney via webcam.”

One of you (curse you Red Baron!) called me on the fact that in a past blog, I talked about putting your computer (but not your spouse) to sleep to save money (and boot-up time) and be greener than your neighbor, but just two weeks ago I blogged about memory leaks and the need to turn your computer (but not your spouse) off to speed it up. Well, in the spirit of transparency and compatibility, I’d just like to say “Why can’t we all just get along?”

Earlier this month, the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR) published an article based on advice from the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) and American College of Radiology (ACR) which contradicted the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (PSTF) and stated that annual mammograms should indeed begin at age 40 and even earlier if you're at risk. Unlike the PSTF's earlier recommendations, the SBI/ACR based its recommendations on several different trials and studies.

The CLNC Pros share how they overcame their deepest fears about becoming Certified Legal Nurse Consultants. While each CLNC consultant’s story is different, the overwhelming message from all is that it’s okay to feel the fear but success only comes by fully embracing it. I personally love what Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Do the thing you cannot. You must.”